Resilient puncture-proof automobile wheel



May 23, 1944. v. J. STEWART RESILIENT PI JNCTURE PROOF AUTOMOBILE WHEEL Filed May 31, 1943 IN VEN TOR 4 frag/v5) Patented May 23, 1944 I ENT. PUNCTURE-PR'DOF AUTOMOBILE WHEEL- Vincent Stewart, '1 "allahassee, Application May 31, 1943, 'snalnofi 489 ,2 06 k 2 Claims. (Cl. 152-105) The object of the present invention is to provide a puncture-proof, resilient wheel which may be made in large measure from wood or other non-metallic substances, will employ no rubber in its make-up, will be rugged and wear resistant in action and will effectively resist lateral thrust on turning corners.

The construction chosen for purposes of illustration provides for the effective anchoring and retention of the springs all as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the wheel of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view looking from the rear side of the wheel, with parts broken away and in section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a part of the wheel, on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

The wheel of the present invention embodies an outer annulus 5, that is provided upon its inner periphery with a series of recesses or sockets 6, within which the outer ends of stout helical springs 1 are seated. These springs are held in place in the sockets by pins 8, which pass transversely through the felloe or annulus 5 and with which the outer ends of the springs are engaged.

The central part of the wheel is composed of a pair of plates 9 and H], the plate 9 being materially thicker than plate and consisting of two integral parts 9*, 9 the part 9 being of substantially the same diameter as the plate It) and the part 9 being of smaller diameter, thus providing what is in effect a channel ll, extending around the wheel, said channel lying in the plane of the lateral center of the wheel and being bounded upon one side by part 9 of plate 9 and upon the other side by plate ill. Screws, bolts or like transverse fastenings l2 pass through plate 10 and function to exert a powerful drawing action to force plate In against plate 9. In this action the points of the inner ends of the springs I are forced into anchoring engagement with the side faces of plate 9 and the bodies of the springs are forced into centered position in the channel H and. rest on the surface presented by the part 9*.

The combined width of plates 9 and I0 is equal to the width of annulus so that their outside faces lie in the plane of the outside faces of said annulus. To maintain this alignment a cap plate I2 is secured to the outer face of the wheel in overlapping relation to both annulus 5 and plate 9. At the inner side of the'whei a flat ring [3 is secured in overlapping relation to the annulus 5 and plate l0. Thus the central part of the wheel may move vertically against the tension of the springs while being held against movement out of lateral alignment with the felloe or annulus 5. A fiat strip of metal or other suitable material may be caused to serve as a protecting tire, its ends being in free overlapping relation and said strip being provided with retaining ears l5 which extend inwardly toward the wheel center and lie behind the cap plate I 2 and ring l3. These ears are traversed by bolts l5 which pass through felloe 5, cap plate I2, ring l3 and ears l4. These bolts draw all of the parts together to make a mutually braced structure resistant to rough use, free of punctures, and economical of manufacture. By referring to Figs. 2and 3 it will be seen that the inner part of the wheel is almost as large in diameter at its outer periphery as the outer part of the wheel is at its inner periphery. The space between these parts is only enough to accommodate the maximum expected flexing of the wheel.

Consequently, the cap plate l2 and ring l3 have effective overlapping relation upon the parts 9 and ID in all positions of the parts of the wheel when in action.

The ring plate 13 serves the further function of acting as a carrier for a brake drum, not shown, the ring being provided with openings l6 serving as the point of attachment for said brake drum.

I wish it to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth, but that it includes within its purview Whatever changes fairly come within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1. A wheel comprising an outer and an inner part capable of vertical movement with respect to each other, said outer part comprising an annular felloe having a plurality of radial sockets formed therein and open at its inner face and said inner part comprising a pair of clamp plates, and means for forcibly drawing said plates together, said plates comprising parts spaced apart to leave a peripheral channel extending around said inner parts, a group of helical springs, means for anchoring the outer ends of said springs in the sockets of the felloe, the inner ends of said springs lying within said peripheral channel and terminating in inturned terminal ends which project inwardly between the plates and are forced by one of said plates into the side face of the other of said plates to thereby anchor the inner ends of said springs, a cap plate disposed in overlapping and bearing relation to said irmer and outer parts and secured to said outer part only, a ring plate secured to said felloe and disposed in overlappin and bearing relation against the inner side of said inner and [outer parts, one of said clamp plates comprising a part of reduced diameter disposed toward the other of said plates, the periphery of which constitutes the bottom of said peripheral channel, the bottoms of the springs bearing upon said part of reduced diameter.

2. A wheel comprising an outer and an inner part capable of vertical movement with respect to each other, said outer part comprising an annular telloe having a plurality of radial sockets formed therein which are open at its inner face and said inner part comprising'a pair of clamp plates, lateral bolts for forcibly drawing said plates together, said plates comprising parts spaced apart to 1eave a peripheral channel extending around said inner part, and a part of smaller diameter forming a bottom for said channel, a group of helical springs, means for anchoring the outer ends of said springs in the sockets of the felloe, the inner ends of the bodies of said springs lying within said peripheral channel and resting firmly upon said bottom, said springs terminating in inturned ends which are bound between the clamp plates under the action of said bolts to thereby anchor the inner ends of said springs, a cap plate disposed in overlapping and bearing relation to said inner and outer parts and secured to said outer part only, and a ring plate secured to said felloe and disposed in overlapping and bearing relation against the inner side of said inner and outer parts.

VINCENT J. STEWART. 

